Pond help

[Helen1290]

I’m looking for advice please I have a preformed pond each corner has a shelf on it which has plants , no fish in pond just wildlife been in for about 23 yrs , but the visiting hedgehogs that have been coming here many years one decided to go in the pond couldn’t get out how I don’t know as it’s ground level and has the plants and ledges ect and the pump in the middle sits on a plant pot the pond isn’t that big only 3x3 foot at most , so I’d like to while there hibernating pebble up half the pond so the frogs and newts can go deeper and if the hedgehog does get in it can easily get out by the half of the pond being gravel stone and stepping stones , but how do I separate the two half’s so the stones dont fill up the other side and go down in the deeper hole in the middle I’m at a loss I’m ready to start It but my brain is not working to keep the area apart but making it look natural any help gratefully received photo of pond wire on top to stop hedgehogs entering it for now

 

[Dimelius]

1st of all Welcome to GPForum!
Just make a wooden ramp from bottom to edge, with horizontal steps? So if any hedgehogs fall into pond can easily come out...just fix into the ground so can not be moved.

hedgehogs got lil legs, so aren't good climber...more in a preformed pond that got almost 0 grip.

made a drawing with paint, just to give an idea...

 

[addy1]

Nice ramp! ^^^^

If you want to use rocks, get nice big flat ones for the bottom rock, then stack more flat ones on top, a bit smaller, then more a bit smaller. Make them flat as you can they will not move. The total weight will keep them stable.

 

[brokensword]

I’m looking for advice please I have a preformed pond each corner has a shelf on it which has plants , no fish in pond just wildlife been in for about 23 yrs , but the visiting hedgehogs that have been coming here many years one decided to go in the pond couldn’t get out how I don’t know as it’s ground level and has the plants and ledges ect and the pump in the middle sits on a plant pot the pond isn’t that big only 3x3 foot at most , so I’d like to while there hibernating pebble up half the pond so the frogs and newts can go deeper and if the hedgehog does get in it can easily get out by the half of the pond being gravel stone and stepping stones , but how do I separate the two half’s so the stones dont fill up the other side and go down in the deeper hole in the middle I’m at a loss I’m ready to start It but my brain is not working to keep the area apart but making it look natural any help gratefully received photo of pond wire on top to stop hedgehogs entering it for now

you can glue some pebbles to the ramp Dime artistically drew for you, to give you the 'pebbled' look, too. A lot easier to do his method than ramp up rocks, which will also take away some of your pond volume.

 

[Helen1290]

Thanks so much for your replies my thought was leave the main big hole in the bottom for frogs and newts then use small 12inch slabs across where I want the rock side then use pond liner basically wrapped around each layer of slabs to get the height to about 12 inches from the top then back fill with 20 mm pea gravel and pebble the top layer so it’s still under water but u will see the pebbles below the surface, now in my head this sounds a good idea and I picture it but something tells me it won’t work or look right haha will that also work

 

[brokensword]

Thanks so much for your replies my thought was leave the main big hole in the bottom for frogs and newts then use small 12inch slabs across where I want the rock side then use pond liner basically wrapped around each layer of slabs to get the height to about 12 inches from the top then back fill with 20 mm pea gravel and pebble the top layer so it’s still under water but u will see the pebbles below the surface, now in my head this sounds a good idea and I picture it but something tells me it won’t work or look right haha will that also work

you'll probably have to 'angle' this area so the weight isn't all verticle, make it a ramp like fill and not a 'wall' per se. It can work; I did something the same and put large boulders on the 'edge' of my shelf, then angled back with smaller until the last bit was pea gravel. But I did this for baby fish and possible baby turtles in the future. That is, I made a shallow part out of what used to be medium depth. But as I noted, you WILL lose pond water volume and if you want this, I'd go with the ramp with glued on pebbles to achieve the same effect and be a lot less labor on your part. Once algae gets on it, you won't even notice and you'll still have the water UNDER the ramp for your benefit.

 

[j.w]

@Helen1290

 

[brokensword]

View attachment 146759@Helen1290

ride on, OTG! Beautiful anigif, btw!